STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford (18-6, 4-2 MPSF) has been awarded the No. 4 seed for the upcoming NCAA Championship, scheduled for May 10-12 at the Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley, Calif.
Stanford has appeared in 12 of the last 13 NCAA finals and is the nation's only program to have participated at every NCAA Championship since the event's inception in 2001.
Coming off victories in 2022 and 2023, nine-time NCAA champion Stanford is bidding to join UCLA (2005-09) as the only programs to capture three straight NCAA crowns. The Cardinal, which has defeated USC in the last two national championships, also won it all in 2019, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011 and 2002.
The NCAA Championship field features nine teams, with the top seven having been placed directly in the bracket and the remaining two teams competing for the final berth in the single-elimination tournament.
Stanford's postseason journey begins Friday, May 12, against USC (18-8, 4-2 MPSF) at 2 p.m.
On Sunday, the Cardinal erased a five-goal deficit midway through the third quarter, rebounding for a 12-11 victory over USC in the third-place game of the MPSF Championship. The matchup for third place was a rarity for Stanford and USC, powerhouse programs which have combined to win the last 13 NCAA titles while facing off in the previous five MPSF finals.
Stanford has maintained its standing as one of the nation's elite teams in 2024, thanks to multiple players emerging as team leaders and developing into offensive threats. The Cardinal has swept its three meetings against USC while splitting its four matchups against California. Six Cardinal players have scored at least 20 goals while All-American Maya Avital remains one of the nation's top goalkeepers.